New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-02
TurGUYANDOTTE EXPLOSION
NO CLEw TO THE MAN WHO CAUSED 1T.
A REWARD OFFERED BY THE CoMPANY-EFFEcrs OF
Tile SHOCK

The steamship Guyandotte OF the Old Dominion
Line. which was injured by Jan explosion OF dynamite
while off Long Branch Monday afternoon, 10y at
the Old Dominion pier all day yesterday, an object OF
Astounding interest 10 police detectives reporters and
apv other persons who looked her shattered joiner
work The question " Who did it ~ was in the minds
ot ALL II WAS believed by nearly every one who knew
tbe main facts about the explosion that the question
w,s likely 10 rem sin unanswered long time Captain
Gastlin of The Steamboat Police went TO look at the
nirred vessel early in the morning. Almost the first
thing he did was to inquire ii any search had been
made among the splinters OF wood which covered the
deck where the explosion occurred for the frag
rents of the bag which had contained the explosive
He ga. told that not splinter had been disturbed aad
that the wreckage would not be touched untii me
oI;cc we're ready to assist in the search So CAPTAIN
Gastlin had TO pay off the policemen of his command
he arranged To make the search In the evening At
Police Ueadcuarters he had long consultation alter
orJ Win SUPERINTENDENT Murray and Inspector
Rvrnes who determined to detail several detective
sergeant, TO assist in the Investigation
part of the Guvandottes freight was transferred to
tbe Wvonoke early in tne day. Then tho injured
ao,o, ,ros moved nlon gsde the Seneca which lay on
the north side of the pier ana gang OF men Sena 10
An examination Of the Guyandotte showed that her
iron buI had notbeen injured in the least by the ex
pIoson In fact, the damage had been confined en-
I'll, to The Joiner work covering the closets in the
rao, Of the mpn saoo aud to small portion OF tho
deck The blanks of tho deck had been broken only
WIDER the place where the explosive was and the hole
&, tho dock was less than n square ward III extent
There were sets OF closets IN the rear oil he Saloon
and only those on the sarooard soo m'a og tbe
saloon had been injured and the big mirror Mt the Tor
ward end of the saloon was nnbrokcn. IL was sau
that the entire damage could be repaired IN less INN
. onL n necessary at n cost OF less than $1,000
C,pain John 4. Kelly. the commander oi the steam,
sbin said that the explosion could not nave occurred
In a more favorable spot. To TRIBGNA reporter he
gave this description of the explosion ana oil "ha'
followe IN -
I've were Just passing Long Branch at, at 5do h F.
r,th tho second officer nj the time The sound was
like heavy weight falling below decks and there
was n pcrccptble shock all through the vessel a
second after il occurred thought We had struck some
wreck and looked the sides 10 see II tbcre was
INV drittwood The signal to stop given to the
na az The same time Then | noticed smoke
rising in the rear OF the saloon and soon learned tnh
the closets had been blown up. fire had started IN
the wrenkare and had the puInps and hose manned
otV ooco I ttIe water cxtingui.hed the flames. a
short examination convinced me that the steamships
hull was not injured. but so much JOINER Worh hI
lie "a blown that the saloon was open 10 'he o"i
oir In cose of storm water could come IN.
| thought it possible that another explosion might
oocur so | tnrned back to NcwYork. The passen-
gers we're excited, OF course but they quoted do"h
when the extent OF the damage was Known
Captain II. A. Bourne general s1pcrnienoent o, Inc
companv's vessels. ami \. L. Mccready, prrFneni 81
Tho compauy said that thew NnpTOvcd captain hellYs
action in turning back alter q explosion They MADE
careful nqrires, talking VITA all the oicers OF ai'o
vessel and with several of the parseie 10 asceI
all the facts of the explosion that were known Cap
tain Bourne gave the following statement; oo-
q The Guvandottc lett the pier yesterday about 80
n m shortly before that time man carried small
Hack vaIise on board lie was little above medium
height about five feet and ten inches and woighcu
lie had short reddish side-whiskers and
light ru@taohe. lie wore black derby hat
a LIGHT brown or n enul-coloied oyeicOat and d9.k
trouscrs Probably the man had purchased "a ticket
Tor Norfolk thinking that 10 would mol De able 10 S't
on the vessel with nut We know that one uchet
purchased tor that trip has not been used AMER me
man went ON board he set his black bag made the
door o. the cnginc-rooh. Ono OF the OILERS noticed
the bag anil set 1t outside the deck knowing that
did not belong in the enGinerooin hat was i"iiu-
nate thing II the vnli-e bad been lett IN the engine
room until the explosion occurred tho DAMAGE would
have been great. After the oher placed the bag on
deck the man picked II mp again uhhotIe'H' put Tue
mess boy. Robert saw him gong with II aIohhd the
outslc OF the saloon to the closet m the rear i'tr
LATER Second Officer llilcr. who had noticed the man
On IN hoard with the bag. him leave the vessel
emptvhandcd. As the man walked away on the pier
Onarermnsicr Hansen said tn Hitler: mat man WI
get left if lac doesn't hurry back No further notice
of the stranger taken. ~ the vessel soon sailed
After the steamship had got ~ Tar ~ sandy Hook
Mr. Kelly. one of the pas-rng"r- went ln'5 Closet
back of the saloon and there saw the Da'k Dag ihs
under partition scpaTaing the cio-et from an adJo-
ing one. Mr.. Kelly gave the vali"e slight hich 10
move il further into the next closet out OF MS way
Ic vas In the saloon when the explosion occurred ana
wa. Injured on the lcg by living splinter. We are Al
loss to account for the explosion on any suPpo'loh
vcent that .omc person interested IN the rtrAr Oh our
former employees attempted TO destroy the vessel ne
damage can be repaired Tor about 7l''"' PI"''pl'
and The Gnvnndotic will be iu service again m about
ten dave We could have her ready early next "r,k'
Int we have ship. enough without her. La" T'p"fn
will bo made at oar own per a. er nan i MOI
i'm the least. None Of the ir'ighl Was damaged All
the freight for Norfolk vail bc sent to-day on tAo
Wyauokc and the freight for Newport hc". and West
Point will be sent on the seneca tomorrow:
President McCrcldy raid: " W hardly Know what
"a think about the attempt 70 sink the tu'andottc.
The man who took the bag of dynamite on board Wa
not one of our former emplolc now on strike but IT
i. hard believe that the dynamite waS not used with
the intention of helping the stukcr- We siail 10
what 10 punish the offender II ho can be ionnd
A reward for his detcctio'i may be offered 10y the
company II 80 | shall send al Advertisement 10
TN TIIBUNT. We are considering that subject, but
probably will not come 10 decision untI tomorrow
The Nyanoke, of the Old dominion Line. sailed
about on time Yesterday afternoon carving most of
tho first cabin passengers who were the tuynudOtc
on Monday and the freight for Norfolk which ri been
tr nserred from the injured steamer Policemen IN
uniform AMI detectives ia plain clothes wer" ON the
pier TO IS that no bag of dynamite was carried on
the WyanOke. Among the phsrcngcrr were Lazy ana
hex little daughter, gOlieu-haired child who waved
kis4e. TO small crowd of friends the pier
n the vessel moved away. An immigrant who wns ON
the Gnvnndoilo Monday decided TO sail the
Wvanoke after arrangements had been made 10 send
him the next steamer and his baggage had been
stowei away in the Seneca He was buchanan
of middle age, with an extremely red face and his
excitement Just before the Nyun0kc smiled reached IA
laughabie point. lie would run down the gang plank
TO the pier minute, rs # afraid of being carried
away and the next minute he would dash b elk
board if afraid of being left. In each along the
gang plank the tails of long blue coat which he wore
stood out straight behind him Nhcpthe persons on
the per got their last glimpse Of the Duchman the
vessel moved away he was in the grasp of n coorcd
porter and being violently restrained from jumping
overheard.
The police detectives who looked nj the mass of
splinters in the Of the GuyandJte's said
that thew thought the with the dynamite intended
10 sink the ship with all board. llls attembt TO
place the bag of dynamite in tho engine room showed
that he had chosen the worst possible place for
explosion. The discovery of the bag by William
Thomas, the oiler who placed it on deck doubt ess
prevented a fatal disaster. Ii believed that when
the man discovered that he had been foiled in that
attempt he did not have tine TO get the bag into the
hold OF the vessel and he Therefore placed IL Ia tho
convenient place he could Ind before leaving the
steamer.
One OF the detectives said at IL likely that care
iul search will disclose fragments of the bag and also
frag lpents OF an Internal machine Undoubtedly there
was some olockwcrk arrang cement inside the bag 40
fixed as TO set off the dynamite at given time The
scOundrel must have had cOniedeIatcs devilsh as
himself and probably the best way to discover him
will be to offer reward large enough 10 tempt them
to bctray him. Men who would be privy TO such n